


Blue Skies

by TheColonel



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Depression, F/F, POV Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-03-26 19:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19012474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheColonel/pseuds/TheColonel
Summary: A girl with long, blue hair travels across a sky filled with strange islands and weird people.





	1. Place of Warmth, Part One

"Ahhh... look at those big, open blue skies! Clear weather, clouds as far as the eye can see..."

_Wednesday, 12th of Klover, Year Unknown_

Pushing myself up off the ground, I feel the dirt, every blade of grass poke and brush at my skin. Wiping my hands on my pants, I focus my eyes back off into the distance.

"The light of the sun shining from above, and all the islands, the old stone ruins floating in the distance... I can't wait to see what kinda stuff my future's got in store for me. Right?"

I turn around and smile at her. She's a close friend I know I can trust. I wouldn't be saying any of this to her otherwise. I want to give my love freely, to everyone I know I can believe in. I want to give my love to every woman I meet. My love of the world, of the skies, and the people among them.

It's because of the people closest to me that I can smile, even at times like this. I put my hand on her shoulder and whisper in her ear. "Sorry... but I have to get going now. Thanks for everything. Take care of yourself." Gently, I give her a kiss on the lips. They're sweet. In a few moments, I let go of her for the last time. Walking away, I wave goodbye, my back turned.

"W-wait...!" As usual, a cry stops me in my tracks. "... Y-you... take care... of yourself... too... Jett..."

Turning around, seeing her crying face, I give her one last smile. "Don't worry about me, Kathy. I'm a girl with a long future ahead of me."

And once again, I soar into the air.

My name is Aerica Skyes, and I'm the most useless adventurer you'll ever meet. So... nice to meet you, whoever's reading this. Hope you enjoy this account of my life.

 

 

_Thursday, 28th of Juste, Year Unknown (Maybe?)_

Guuuuuuuhhh... I'm starving... I'm empty... my stomache's a gaping pit...!

I crash-landed my plane on this small, restaurant-corner-looking floating island with all these flashy neon signs and lanterns thinking I could grab a bite to eat, but I think I made a small mistake... I haven't seen any mechanic shops around here, and all of the restaurants are, well... there are a ton of food stalls in the streets, and plenty of chinese and indian places... there are even some crummy fast food burger points up here... but... the lines are all really long, and they all have "no shirts, no shoes, no service" signs, and... and...

_Grrrruuuuumbleeee..._

And I don't... have any money... w-whoops! M-maybe living off of whatever I can plunder from old ruins isn't always a great idea... when there aren't any ruins nearby to plunder...? Okay, okay, no point getting gloomy over that right now. What I need is... a free meal... h-hey, what's the sign on that shady, darkly lit back-alley bar say...?!

For a moment I wonder if my eyes are deceiving me, but no! What the hey, this place is offering free meals if you can clean your whole plate!? Haha! Lucky! I'll take you up on that offer, kind owner! As long as the food's good, at least! If it isn't... well, I can always slip out the back.

With barely a second thought, I venture into the shady back-alley place known only as "Dining Bar Mandy's"... according to the sign, at least, which also has a cute little picture of a sleepy-looking girl holding a big mug of beer. The moment I step inside, I already feel myself getting absorbed into a very warm, low-energy atmosphere.

Also, all of the patrons are women. It's not exactly packed with people, but the few tables taken have couples cuddling next to each other, holding hands and talking. In the corner I even notice a large girl wearing a puffy jacket passed out on her girlfriend's lap, who's gently petting her head as she sleeps. I can't help thinking to myself how cute it is.

"You a customer?" I hear a deep, slightly drowsy but smooth and suave voice ring at me from across the counter. Carrying a beautiful air of maturity to her attitude, with glittering short purple hair and a small scar under her left eye, and also because she's wearing a bartender uniform, and polishing a glass, while standing behind the bar... She is, unmistakably, the bartender. I nod my head at her and, quietly, take my seat at the bar...

_*hic!*_

...next to a short _*hic!*_ girl with long blonde hair and teeth that stick out of her mouth like fangs, who looks like she had way, way too _*hic!*_ much to drink and can barely contain herself from _*hic!*_ cuping every few seconds. _"AaaAAaaHh maaan... i *hic!* tells ya... I'MM THE BIGGEST QUEEEN FU*hic!*ING BISTCH IN THIS BBAR... ISSMEIMTHEONE"_ She can barely speak coherently, with most of her words coming out in a drunken scrawl, and her voice sounds about as shrill and tiny as you'd expect from how she looks. It's kind of pathetic, but also kind of adorable.

The bartender chimes in. "Don't worry about her. She looks young, but she's 21, so she's allowed." I scratch my head. "Okay. That's good to know, I guess." Heck if I'm gonna pass any kinda judgments about these kinds of things.

"So what're you having, blue hair?" Remembering why I came in here in the first place, I fix my composure and tilt my head down so I can look kinda cool as I say it. "Isn't it obvious? I'm..." I tilt my head up, knowing from experience that doing that is a surefire way to make your delivery have more impact. "... here for the free meal."

And now she's just staring at me, which is making me question if everything I know about coming off like a cool person is wrong. "Alright, then. I'll get you some out of the freezer." Hold on a sec, get me what? "... It'd be faster to show you than to explain what it is. Gimme a sec."

She wasn't lying. Whatever's lying in front of me, it's... a totally normal meatball sandwich. But it's a really big meatball sandwich. Too big. Way, way, way too big. Like, too big for a human being to eat with their hands. Sure enough, if you saw some big guy holding it in the streets, scholars would say it looks more like a huge lump of bread and meat than a sandwich. I don't think you could take a full bite of this with a normal human mouth. I'd even go as far as to say that whoever cooked this did not cook it with normal ingredients, and definitely didn't go anywhere near normal-sized utensils or appliances through the entire process of creating this towering monstrosity. "... So I have to eat this entire thing?"

The bartender shrugs. "My ex-girlfriend sent me that thing a few days ago. That's, like, 1/10th of it. I'm pretty sure she's trying to kill me, but whatever. Eat the entire dish and it's free. If there are leftovers, it's gonna cost you, uh... twenty... something. That's what I think. Take it or leave it."

I'm considering for a moment whether I'm that hungry. Hungry enough to survive eating an absolute, certified monster. But now that I'm hearing my stomache growl for the eigth time today... I guess I don't have anything to lose. "Okay, then. I'm gonna dig in. Here I go."

Thirty minutes later...

I made a big mistake. And I'm not hungry anymore. The sandwich tasted fine. It's clear that whoever made it made it with a lot of love and care. If this is from that bartender's ex, they definitely parted on good terms, because I can't taste any kind of anger or hatred from this sandwich at all. But still, they did create an instrument of death. And it only becomes apparent once you're thirty or so bites into consuming this horror. If I take one more bite, I will not live.

The bartender's not looking this way, so... I'm sure that if I just duck out and leave before she turns around... I can probably make it out... okay. I'm gonna go for it!

*Sob*... *Sniff*...

But the moment I try to dart up from my chair, I hear a soft, small whimpering noise. And, wouldn't you know, it's the small woman sitting next to me. Holding her head up with one hand, she's... crying. "Uwaaaa... aaaaaaaahahaaaaaaahhh... *Sniff*... mmmmMMmmm... I d... d... don't geeeeedddiiiiiitttt....!!!"

Seeing this cute girl crying alone at the bar like that... well, it's hard for me to just ignore. I'm going to... talk with her a bit. I'm gonna put my hand on her shoulder.

"*Sniff*... Uwa-uwaaaaaahhh...!???" Her shoulder feels so small and gentle as I hold it. She's only about half my height, and the way she turns her head to look up at me, well... I feel like my heart's gonna burst, actually! Holy crap, this woman's cuuuute!!! But... those tears in her eyes... I wonder if I can make her feel better. "Hey, is there something eating at you? I can lend you an ear, or a shoulder, if you want."

For a moment, in shock or disbelief I guess, she just stares up at me with her mouth wide open, prominently displaying her tiny fangs. And then... her red eyes start watering up. "Th--thhh--" Whoa, she's hugging my arm really, really tight... she feels warm. "TH-TANK YOUUUU!!! SEXY TALL WOMAN!!! *Sniff!*... U-uhh... t-thanks..." I don't think I'm THAT tall...

"It's... it's just... I... I can't... *Sniff*..." I can feel her tightening her grip on my arm. She's, uh, stronger than she looks. "... I dunno ifff... anyb-b-body likes me... I c-can't get a g-g-g-girlf-f-friend... and I d-d-dunno if it's c-cause, cause I'm stupid, or dumb, or ugly, or clumsy, or small, or, or, or maybe I'm just annoying... or an idiot... and I... I think I messed somethin' up real... real bad and I, I didn't realize it and I... I... *Sniff!*... I h-hate myself... a whole lot right now..."

That's what it's about, huh...? Yeah... I think I get how you feel... this question's gonna sound kinda weird, but dammit, I can't help asking. I wanna do it too much. "Mind if I pat your head?"

"Whu-whuhh?!? I-I mean... I guess... sure... okay... I'd... like that..." Yeah, I can tell. You're hugging my arm super tight like a vice. It's not uncomfortable, though. It feels kinda warm and fuzzy. Gently, I reach out my free hand to pat her head. "W-wait, I... my hair's kinda a mess... s-so, I think you might not wanna touch..." Nope. Sorry, but I'm not backing out of doing this now. Gently, I pat her on the head, feeling through her messy, curly long blonde hair. "H-hey, wai-awawawawa... wow... getting p-pat on the head by a hot, tall woman feels... so... nice..."

"Hahah, I'm glad." I say out loud. I don't think she needs to be worrying so much... she seems really warm and comforting to be around. "My name's Jett Skyes, just so you know." I give her my name. "Fufufu... ah... m-my name's... Ranko... Jett, you've... got really soft hands... thank... you... zzz..." Jeez, this woman's gonna make me blush.

Well... she's asleep again. And she... hasn't let go of my arm. And now that I think about it, the bartender is looking right at me now, too. Guess my plan to sneak out and avoid paying for my meal hit some snags!

The bartender, glaring deep into my soul, opens her mouth. "I'll take a wild guess and say, you can't afford to pay and you were gonna sneak out while I wasn't looking, huh." Well, she's not wrong. "Ahaha, yeah, funny story... the story is that you're completely right. S-sorry." Oh no. The death glare from her deep, purple eyes is getting more intense. "Yeah. Figures."

"Do you want to know how we deal with dine-and-dashers around here?" Her eyes are glaring into my soul.

"In this bar..."

It might be time to start saying my goodbyes!

"We have one way of dealing with people like you..."

Braigst, Whirly, Jill, Jakost, Duke, Enst, Kerrelin, Hamill... forgive your captain's clumsy little sister, her life ended too soon by an angry hot lesbian bartender over the bill for an uneaten meatball sandwich! I swear, this isn't how I meant for my life to end when I ventured out on my own! I thought I'd have at least six more years! At minimum!

"... So prepare for... your punishment." Ah... goodbye, everyone. At least, in the end... the bartender who will end my life is kind of sexy... if I had to choose any one person to break my glass skeleton to pieces...

_*Fwip!*_

Just as I'm prepared for my untimely demise, the means of which I dunno what to even predict, I'm handed a broom.

"So, I don't really like holding stuff over people's heads, so uh... just work here as a janitor for a couple days, I guess. Or you can deliver drinks to patrons, that helps too. I dunno. I've been really out of it the past week since I broke up with my girlfriend. My head feels like a real pile of shit right now. So, uh... yeah. I'll pay you for the work and you can, like... stay here in the mean time, too. I guess. And eat stuff out of the fridge that aren't pieces of a giant meatball sandwich. I dunno. Do whatever. I need to get some sleep soon. That sound okay?"

"... Oh, that's it? Uh... sure, alright. Thanks."

"No problem. Oh, and thanks for cheering up Ranko. She's a regular. I've talked to her a bit before. She's got a tough life, so I give her free drinks. It's mostly non-alcoholic, though. Don't tell her. Alright, now... I'm gonna go lie in bed for a few hours and hopefully sleep, too. Good night, Jett."

I wave good night to the bartender as she ducks into a back room. Suddenly, she stops in her tracks. "Oh yeah, forgot to mention it, but my name's Mandy. If you didn't realize it yet. Just felt it was worth clarifying. Okay. Now I'm really going to sleep. Don't wake me up. Or do if something bad happens. That's fine, too. I can't really think right now. Good night."

"U-uh, wait, what should I do with Ranko...?" I ask. Mandy turns back to look at me one more time. "I dunno. She's homeless. I usually just let her bum around here, too. So... you two can sleep in the same bed, or something. Whatever. I got some futons in the back room. You can share one, or... you could not. I don't really care. My head's fucking pounding me to death right now."

And with that, the main room of the bar is empty, outside of me and a tiny sleeping Ranko. Somehow, one thing led to another, and I've found myself with food, drinks, lodging, and I guess some new friends. Hey, I'm not complaining. Things seem to have a way of working out like this, I guess.

At least now I can see what's in store for me tomorrow... without my stomache holding a grudge against me. For tonight... the only crisis is figuring out how I can get the willpower to pry this super-ultra adorably cute shorty off my arm...


	2. Place of Warmth, Part Two

I had a weird dream. There's someone I was chasing after, and... well, I guess it's kinda obvious. It was her. She looked the same as the last time I'd saw her, towering above me like she always did. My mind just kinda drifts as I stare up into the whirring fan above me. Hard to believe I've been on my own for this long now. And now I'm...? Oh yeah... the back room of a lesbian bar. Kinda cramped, but... this futon's more comfortable than that airplane cockpit, so it's alright, I guess. I can almost feel myself drifting back off to sleep...

And then I feel a swift kick to the shin from my left. Owch! C-crap, that hurt! Who the heck...!?

Oh... of course, it was that short girl from last night... I put her in a different futon a short distance away from me, but... it looks like she really likes to cover a wide space when she's sleeping. That's kinda cute, but I wish she didn't demolish my fragile excuse for a leg bone by just swinging around her foot in her sleep. That left a bruise... hm. It's probably mean of me to hold a grudge over this, so I'll get some payback right now. I lean over, way, way close to her... and blow in her ear.

"G-G-GUAAAAHHHH!?!?!" Ranko, with extreme speed, immediately darts her body up in a panic. "W-WHO!? WHAT?! W-W-WHERE!?! W-wait, the bar? When did I...?" She turns her head to the right and finally notices me. Our eyes meet for a moment. And then, in a panic, she falls backwards away from me, despite her butt already being on the ground. "W-WHAA!? Uh... h-hi!? D-did I meet someone really pretty and forget about it...?" 

_**CRASH!** _

With perfect timing, Mandy kicked open the door to the room, huffed up and with a crazed look in her eyes as she stared down at us. The tension melted the air in the room as we waited patiently for whatever she was about to demand of us.

Then she lazily slumps over and yawns. "Sorry to wake you two up this early. I haven't had my coffee yet. I'd appreciate it if you could clean up the bar. Thanks in advance." She makes her way back through the door, but suddenly pauses for a moment, turns around and says "Oh yeah, and there're some ice cream sandwiches in the fridge. If you two get hungry or anything. And Ranko..." She turns her eyes over to the short girl, who freezes up in place like a cat. "... There's also some fruit punch in there. If you get thirsty. Try not to drink all of it." Without hesitation, Mandy finally walks back through the doorway.

"F-fruit punch...?" Ranko's still frozen, not responding to me or anything around her. Carefully, I walk behind her and give her a friendly pat on the back. "H-HUAAAGH!!! H-hey, you can't do that just cause you're pretty 'n tall!" Weren't you begging me to pat you on the head last night...?

 

The light of the early morning sky is shining through the windows of the dining bar. While Mandy sits in the corner gently sipping a mug of coffee while holding her forehead, I'm mopping up trash with Ranko. Because of our height differences, I'm brushing the floor while she holds the dust pan. I think I can hear her grumble a bit...

"You okay, Ranko?" I ask, brushing away some old wrappers and other trash. Seeing her bending down on the floor with the dustpan... I wonder if she's bothered by the, uh... height difference. "Gaaaaaahh... crouching down like this is hurting my leeeegs..." She whines. "But... eheh... I get to do this work with a really tall lady helpin' me out... so maybe it's not all bad..." Suddenly, her face looks really peaceful...

Like a bubble popping over her head, she panics and waves her hand around saying, "U-uh, n-not in a weird way or anything! Don't get the wrong idea!" I guess she's kind of bashful when she's sober... of mind, of course. Considering Mandy doesn't give her that much alcohol, maybe her uh, 'drunk' state of mind, is like, a manifestation of her anxiety and loneliness... or something. "Y'know you can just call me by name, right, Ranko?"

"Of course I do! Your name... uh... y-yeah, your name... I can definitely remember it... uhhh... I... am really bad with names! Sorry!" I could kinda tell...

"Well, if you need me to reintroduce myself... my name's Aerica Skyes, but you can call me Jett. Whichever works, honestly, I don't have a preference." Not like I ever really understood that nickname!

"Jett... huh... I'll call you Erica, I guess. That's a pretty name!" Whoops, common misunderstanding here. "Uh, it's Aerica. With an A at the start."

"... E-earica...?" Uh oh, it's getting deeper. "No, it's... like, it's pronounced like Erica, but... there's an A. Like... Air, Airica, y'know?"

"... Hnnn... I guess I get it... but why's there...? And how did you know I was pronouncing it without the A...?" That's a valid question that Ranko just asked. "Honestly... I couldn't really tell you, on either count. I guess I've just got an ear for it."

"... Would you say you've got a... AER for it?" Ranko's giving me a really dumb grin. I can't get mad at her, though, because the way her little fangs flashed in her smile was kind of cute.

Suddenly, we hear Mandy whining at us from the corner. "Hey, you two... could you please clean the damn floor? We're living on that crap... I'm tired of walking in circles around the bar when my brain stops working and stepping on some leftover notice from some dumbass island authority telling me to close up shop..."

Now that she mentions it... there are a lot of those, for some reason. "Is this place getting closed down or something?" I can hear Mandy grumbling from way across the room. It's a small room. "Not as long I draw a single breathe... but there are some old business dudes who sure want me to. Jackasses..." Feeling a wave of intensity, I look over at Ranko, who's so red-hot with anger that she looks like she's turning into a feral cat. "Grargh!!! What'n the heck is wrong with those people!? This is the only freaking lesbian bar in the entire district! The heck are they gonna get from closin' your place!? Grrr!!!" No, she's not turning feral... she's already completely become Feral Cat Ranko!

Mandy puts her hand on her forehead, leans back in her chair and sighs. "It's BECAUSE we're the only lesbian bar in the area... and we don't pull in much money. And I'm not all that receptive to paying their taxes. And also, they're old dudes who hate lesbians. God... Restaurock is such a dead-end rock of a place to live... wish I could take this business to the skies and leave this crap behind."

"Is Restaurock what this island's called?" I ask. I, uh... didn't really pay attention to any of the signs. "Huh? No, it's, ah..." Ranko chimes in to answer for her. "Nyah, this place's just an old rock. Restaurock's just our dumb nickname for our dumb floaty rock." Oh, that makes sense. "Is there an official name for this island, then?" Mandy and Ranko both just go "Hmm..." for a second. Then Ranko answers, "Uhh... who knows? I never paid any attention." I look over to Mandy, and she just shrugs. Guess it doesn't really matter, then.

Since everything's gone quiet for a moment, I take a look across the joint and, seeing the tables, a thought pops into my head. "So... who's doing the dishes?"

 

For the next hour or so, I had to save Ranko from dropping towering stacks of plates that were three times her height. One time, a plate fell off the top of the stack and Mandy caught in the air. While Ranko stared at her with stars in her eyes, I clapped and asked her where she learned to do something like that. Brushing her pretty purple hair to the side, she said "I played football when I was a kid."

 

"So... all the regular chores are done. What time do you regularly open, anyway?" They both stare at me... uh, did I say something wrong...? "Didn't you see the sign? 6PM to 3AM." Mandy says. Whoa, that's late. "Sometimes I fall asleep pretty early, so I just let people grab whatever they want to drink and leave some money for me if they have any, I guess..." I have a feeling Mandy isn't running a very strict outfit here. Well, that's all fine by me, I guess. Strict people make me anxious.

Looking over at the bar, Ranko's poured herself a glass of fruit punch that she's sipping as she kicks her feet in the air, sitting on a tall stool. If that's where we are, I figure I'll grab myself some breakfast. I pop open the fridge to see what we've got, and, uh... "Hey, Mandy?" I shout.

"Huh...? There a problem?" I scratch my head, thinking about how to, uh, word this... "... Do you have food in this fridge right now that isn't... that giant meatball sandwich?" It's taking up the entire top shelf, and some of the shelf below that, but there's basically nothing else in here other than that and some fruit punch... and some empty wrapping. Suddenly, I hear Ranko make a weird noise. I turn around to look at her... she's covering her mouth. "Uh... Ranko...?"

She lowers her hand. "W-well, y'see, I, uh... I got kinda hungry..." What kind of stomache does this girl have...? *Sigh*... Oh well. Mandy stands up, wiping her forehead, and asks "Did Ranko clean out the fridge again...?" This is a regular thing, huh? Mandy sighs. "I'll give you two some money and you can walk down to the convenience store." What I want to know is what we're gonna do with the remnants of that massive sandwich... Anyway, as she says that, Ranko looks confused and points at herself. "H-huh? Me too?"

"Of course you, too, Ranko." Mandy grumbles. "I had some ice cream sandwiches in there I wanted to eat, and you went and ate the whole box..."

"G-guah! I didn't realize! Sorry, Mandy! Sorry!!!" Ranko pleads. "Sorry? Hell, I should be worried about your health. They were all gone within 24 hours, that just isn't right... *Sigh*... So if you do it again, I'm feeding you the rest of the leftovers from that meatball sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a couple days. That'll probably be more healthy for you..." As Mandy finishes talking, a wave of fear crashes over Ranko's eyes. "Y-yes, ma'am! I'll properly regulate my eating habits from now on! C-c'mon, Aerica! Let's go! I'll show you the way to the convenience store!" And with that, Ranko grabbed me by the hand and led me out of the bar while Mandy lazily waved at me.

 

Compared to the relative, awkward calm of the bar, the outside of Restaurock is crowded and active in a way that makes me feel slightly anxious. Before, I was too hungry and tired to think about it, but now I'm kind of worried I'll get lost in these crowds. Okay, okay, there's no need to panic, right? It's probably a dumb thing to get worried about. I'm old enough to take care of myself, and there's no way I'll get separated from someone else on a simple walk down to the convenience... store...

Huh. Where's Ranko? Haha, did she get lost or something? She's so short and clumsy, I should've expected her to do that. I'll just have to go look for her, I guess... just as soon as I figure out where to look. Yeah. Just gimme a moment, Ranko. I'll come find you. As soon as there are less people crowding around me.

I feel a small hand grab hold of mine and almost have a heart attack. "Aerica? You doin' alright? You look kinda pale." Ah, it's her! Through the loud noise of the crowd, I can recognize her small voice. "There you are, Ranko! Did you get lost?"

"H-huh? What the heck're you talkin' about, Aerica? You just stopped in the middle of the sidewalk while you walking right behind me... Hey, are you just saying that cause I'm short, you jerk!? Okay, I'm gonna drag you all the way there, this time! No stopping!" Gripping my hand even tighter, Ranko leads me down the sidewalk, down to the convenience store. For some reason, with her holding onto me so tightly, I feel a lot more at ease.

I've... never been good with crowds... but I can handle them a little better when I have a friend. And Ranko's hand is so warm and soft... and her grip is just as firm as it is when she's drunk. She's a pretty strong girl.

 

Ranko kept tripping on the way here, but thanks to her iron grip, I kept saving her from falling down. So after the longest five minutes, we're at the convenience store, grabbing some candy and milk and stuff. The cashier at the counter is a teenager with huge circles under her eyes who looks like she's lazily staring off into the distance, but it seems like her and Ranko are friends.

"'Sup, Ranks. Hope you ain't planning to steal anything today." She leans in and whispers into Ranko's ear. "I think the boss installed security cameras, so I can't get away with giving you free shit this time." 

"Haha, uh, d-don't worry about it, Lin! Mandy gave us some cash, so I can pay today!" Ranko explains, her voice shaking a bit awkwardly. "Though, uh... don't tell me the last few times got you in trouble...?"

The cashier shrugs. "Don't worry about it. My boss is an asshole, I'm gonna quit soon anyway. Wait, I guess he's probably gonna fire me after hearing me call him an asshole on tape. Huh. Maybe I should just toss in my uniform right now..."

"U-uh, can you wait until we buy our stuff first?!" Ranko points over in my direction. Well, at me. "We got a new face bumming at the bar, and the fridge is, uh... totes empty. (Aside from leftovers of a meatball sandwich.)" The cashier blinks. "You should watch your weight, Ranko. They say it's easier to get fat right around your age."

"G-guaaah! Don't tell me that! I'm gonna stay skinny forever! A-and it's not like I cleared out the entire fridge again, or anything! And don't talk like I'm that old, I'm only three years older than you, you... teen!" The cashier smirks, smiling smugly. "Yeah, three years, huh. 21... it seems so far away to me, you know..." After storing up enough heat to burn her face red with anger, Ranko finally, with a sigh, puffs it all out. "C'moooon, Liiiiin... I don't wanna do this in front of a new friend..."

"Huhu... alright, alright, Ranko. C'mon, let me ring up your groceries and then ditch this shithole. I'm barely getting paid for this crap, anyway. Oh, and by the way, what's her name?" Ranko awkwardly stutters as she tries to introduce me. "Oh, uh, she's..." I can answer for myself, you know... "I'm Aerica. Nice to meet you!"

"Y-yeah! This is Aerica! She's, like, a sky traveler or something." Ranko says, smiling. The cashier awkwardly stares at me with her finger to her chin. "Erica...? Or, uh, is there an extra A...?" Ah... "You don't have to think too hard about it, it's fine!" I'm just gonna wave my hand in the air and call off any future instances of this gag. It's already run its course. "Well, whatever. Nice to meet you, Aerica. If you're hanging with Mandy and Ranko, then welcome to this island's community of broke-as-shit lesbians, I guess."

 

Walking back to the bar, me and Ranko take a detour to avoid the crowds. Out of curiosity, I decide to ask her a bit about the whole community at the bar. "Is it really that tough around here? This island kinda seems like a touristy spot." Ranko sighs with exhaustion, so I guess I should be prepared for her to tell me it really is that bad.

"Weeeell, it's a tourist spot, yeah, but... for a lot of different reasons, lots of people get stranded here who can't really leave. And it's a real pain to find any work... especially if you're, uh, not someone the big local business owners like. That moody chick manning the cashier you saw back there? She kinda lucked into that job. So, uh... I guess the fact that you've gotta luck into a cashier job pretty much says it all, right?"

"So... what do the people running all this stuff bother to do with any of those people? Are they ticked at Mandy cause she helps 'em out and doesn't ask much in return?"

"Basically, yeah, cheap frickin' bastards. Pretty much everyone goes to Mandy for help. Which, coincidentally around here, is mostly broke gay or bi chicks. Ah, but, she's helped out other people, too!" Ranko goes eerily quiet for a moment. "She's even helped out... someone like me. That's why... I..." Someone like her...? Suddenly, Ranko stops right in front of me, and turns around with a really awkward expression on her face. "O-oh, uh, yeah, sorry! I didn't mention it earlier, but..." She hangs her head down, almost... in shame. "Well, technically I wasn't... born as a woman... or at least, I... well... y'know... I'm trans..." She turns around, away from me... "So... y'know... if you think that's gross or something, I can... understand, I guess... I mean, sometimes... even I kinda ask myself..." I can't watch this anymore.

"Alright, alright, stop that." Without hesitating, I walk up next to Ranko and, just as gently as last night, put my hand on her head. She turns her face away from me, staying quiet. Well, I can understand, I guess. But that's not gonna stop me from giving you those super soft, gentle headpats I heard you drunkenly say you love so much last night! "H-hey...! What the...!?" Alright, looks like she's listening. "Ranko. I think you're a really cute girl. So I don't think you should beat yourself up."

We both stay quiet for a moment. Or at least, I do. Because I can hear Ranko crying. And I want her to be able to talk to me. After a few minutes, she says something. "Kgh...! A-a-aerica..." Huh? "Th-Thyank youuuuu...!" Okay, Ranko, you're talking like a cat again. "I was... was... really worried... b-but... this helps a bit... I think..." Hearing words like that, it's hard for me not to smile. "Don't mention it!"

Right after I say that, she hits me in the chest, fracturing a rib. "... But I didn't give you permission to do that, you know! Jeeze!... Uhhh, Aerica?" I think she's saying something, but I'm having trouble hearing her as I gasp for air while clutching my chest. "U-uh, did I hit you harder than I thought...?" Okay, I was joking about her fracturing my rib with that, but uh... I guess I should mention it now...

 

"W-whoa, you're that fragile!?" The pain's gone, so now we're sitting on a bench overlooking a wide grassy plain outside of town as I explain my messed up body. "Yep. I get hurt super duper easily. You could probably bend my fingers like twigs if you tried. I've broken my feet on rocks before. It's pretty painful sometimes."

"O-oh... uh, sorry 'bout smacking you like that, then. It's just, I dunno... you seem a lot, uh... sturdier than that. Maybe cause you're so tall." I... really don't think I'm that tall! "Looks can be deceiving, you know. I'm acquaintances with an infamous pirate captain who's secretly kind of a crybaby when nobody's looking. I even met a royal princess once who turned out to be a huge lesbian... well, after a lot of stuff happened, heheh."

"So... are your bones like that cause you didn't drink a lot of milk growing up or something?" No comment on me knowing a gay princess?

"Nah, I drank a ton. Doctor said if I didn't I'd probably die at the age of 14. Actually, he said I'd probably die at 14 either way. But hey, I'm alive now, so whatever."

"Holy shit! W-wait, 14? Uh... how old are you now, Aerica?"

"Oh, hey. It's my plane." Just then, I realized that the place we're sitting has my plane in, uh... plain view. Well, the mostly-intact wreckage of it, at least. And I guess it's less of a plane, more of a large-ish airship thing. About as big as the bar, actually. "Huh!? You flew that all the way here yourself!?... W-wait a sec, that doesn't answer my--"

"Right, well, I think we've left Mandy waiting long enough. Let's get our butts back to the bar, Ranko!" I say, hopping off the bench. "Wait... I... urgh... I guess you're right, but... what the heck is your deal...?"

 

With the sun setting in the distance, we're back at the bar, greeted by Mandy lounging on a couch while staring at the ceiling, her hair flipped over one of her eyes. "Took you two a while. We're opening up in a half hour. So if you're up to delivering drinks, then... get ready, I guess."

Ranko suddenly stiffens her legs and gives a military salute. "Y-yes, ma'am!" Mandy cocks her head in her direction and blinks. "Ranko, I told you you can relax earlier. It's not like I'm judging you on your job performance or something." I dunno if Ranko heard her, because she's still just standing in place and sweating. I give her a light nudge on the shoulder, startling her so much she reflexively smacks my arm. "H-hyaah!?!" Ow. "Ah! S-sorry, Aerica! D-did I hit you too hard again...?"

"I think you left a bruise... but, uh... it's okay. Don't worry about it." Ranko sighs in relief. "Okay, okay... I'll try and hold back next time..."

"Well, the two of you sure hit it off quick." Suddenly, we both remember that Mandy's in the room with us. Ranko scratches her head anxiously. "O-oh, yeah, huh...? I guess we did, hahah..." Yeah, I guess there's no real reason to hide it. "Yeah, I enjoyed hanging with Ranko. If you're both okay with it... I'd be happy to spend more time hanging around here for a while."

Mandy stares at the ceiling for a moment. And then, she says "You know, Aerica. Real-estate around here doesn't come cheap. And housing two people in one lesbian bar is taking on some heavy expenses."

Everyone goes silent for a moment. The tension in the air even makes me sweat. And then...

"... Did you actually think I'd say that? I already told you it was okay. I'm going in the red these days either way, so hang out here as long as you want." Done speaking, Mandy hangs her head off the couch and mumbles "you should both probably get ready for work now, then... i mean, if you're gonna work..." Ranko looks at me and smiles her cute little cat-like smile.

Yeah, these are gonna be an interesting few weeks.


	3. Place of Warmth, Part Three

_Clap!_

"B-bwaaahhh!?"

"Okay, you're up now. If you wanna sleep, Ranko, do it in the back. It's working hours."

"O-oh, y-y-yes, ma'am! I'll get back to work!"

And just like that, Mandy woke her up. I dunno what kinda dream Ranko was having, but it probably isn't the best idea to have it right in the middle of the bar during working hours. Guess I'll just get back to work, then. Behind me, I can already hear that big, muscly, jacket-wearing chick asking "Hey, Aerica, baby! Can I get another bottle of Gold Windfish?"

Downing this much alcohol in one night, I'm kinda worried about her. "Don't you wanna go a bit easier on that stuff, Emily?" Well, nothing I say could ever wipe that jovial grin off her face. "Hahahhh! No need, no need! I don't need any of your concern here, Aeri! I ain't a lightweight like you!... Uhh... come t'think of it, I ain't never seen you drink a drop of alcohol, Aeri..."

Before things can get a bit too awkward, her slightly taller, equally muscular girlfriend Erina pulls her in and squeezes her with one arm. "Oi, oi, Emily, baby. I think Aerica's right, y'know. You look absolutely fuckin' wasted! Ahaha! 'Sides..." Her voice gets a bit quieter as she tightly pulls a drunken, smiling Emily in, close to her mouth. "... What's the deal with you talkin' to another girl like this so late, huh? Y'know I'm right here, right? You wanna do that kinda stuff, just tell me, eh? You got any idea how horny I'm feelin' after a few bottles of scotch?"

"Hahahh... whoops! Sorrys, Erina! I forgot we were gonna do that tonight! Hahahah! Aight, sorry Aeri! I gotta go somewhere private with the gf so we can--" With perfect timing, Erina tugs strongly on her shoulder, prompting a weak _"ahaha!" _from Fontana. "Sheesh, babe, you wanna broadcast to everyone on the island? There's people eatin' here, y'know."__

__As she drags her massive girlfriend out the door, Erina suddenly turns around, looking in my direction. "O-oh, yeah, right, I almost forgot. Uh... we don't got any money to pay for drinks tonight. So, uh... there's anything we can do to pay off our tab, just tell us. That okay, Aerica?" Well, Mandy normally lets them off the hook, anyhow. "I think your, uh, interesting company, is enough payment." I say with a smile._ _

__"Y'sure?... I mean, Emily still feels kinda bad about the mess we made in here last week, y'know. So, like... if you can give us any work at all..." They're still hung up on that, huh? With good timing, I hear Mandy's smooth, deep, tired voice behind me. "If you feel that bad about it, then just help us carry stuff around sometime. That's fine enough for me. Would put those bulging muscles of yours to use."_ _

__"Carryin' stuff?... Yeah, alright, that sounds good to me. Should be good enough for Emily, too... Well, just, y'know. Call us up whenever you need us. We'll carry whatever tables, boxes, barrels... whatever shit you need, right?" With her free hand, Erina gives a thumbs up. Mandy sighs. "Sure. Just go do your business with each other somewhere else already. Preferably, somewhere I don't have to hear you banging on the walls." And with one last smile and a wave, the drunk, horny muscular girlfriends exit the building. Guess it's back to work for me, then._ _

__

__"Nnnh...!" carrying a massive stack of plates, it's looking like another disaster situation is about to happen with Ranko. And then... "... A-aaaaaahhh! Crap!!!" ... a few plates slide off of the top of the stack, headed on a collision course for the floor._ _

__And as always, with deft precision as she leaps through the air, Mandy grabs one. Rolling on the floor, she reaches out and grabs a second. And right as she reaches the end of her roll, she extends the plates she's holding out to catch a third on top. It's a really impressive feat of athletic ability, and a cool party trick outside of the six other plates that, one by one, sound off hitting the floor, shattering into pieces. And, as always, Mandy lets out a tired sigh. "... Hahhhhh..."_ _

__"S-sorry..." Ranko mutters, hanging her head down. After stylishly wiping sweat off her forehead, Mandy makes a statement. "... Maybe you should stop doing the dishes. That's the fourth time this month." Ranko starts to curl up where she's standing, her face looks really tense. "A... are you sure? I mean... doing the dishes is important..."_ _

__"It's fine. I'll make Aerica do them. Or I'll do them myself." Pushing work on me is the first option she considers, huh? With a small sigh, she continues talking. "Right... Ranko, you can handle cleaning the tables starting tomorrow. For now, I'm closing up early. Night." As she says that, she walks over to her bedroom, waving at us, and closes the door._ _

__For an awkward few moments, me and Ranko just kinda stand around together, with a deafening silence._ _

__"... Hey, Aerica? You think Mandy's... angry with me?" Well, if I had to say... "She's probably less angry with you than she is worried. You've been dropping a whole lot of plates recently... why do you grab those huge stacks, anyway?"_ _

__"... W-well..."_ _

__"... Ah, never mind... Why don't you just go try and talk things out with her yourself?" Well, right as I say that, the anxious look on her face pretty much tells me that's not an idea that'll be happening, I guess. "... Okay, want me to ask her?"_ _

__"H-huh!? You will? Uh... well... y-yeah, I'd... appreciate... that... thanks, Aerica."_ _

__"Hey, no problem." I wave at Ranko and head over to Mandy's room._ _

__

__Wearing her loose, baggy nightwear, Mandy's just kind of lying back on a chair in the corner of her room. Truly, her dashing grace carries whether she's wearing a nice suit or a tank top that looks almost just a size too loose... huh, you couldn't really tell when she's wearing her regular outfit, but her chest is--_ _

__"Huh...? Oh, Aerica. Need something?" I'm glad Mandy's charming personality snapped me out of that thought! "Nah, I kinda just wanted to chat. I feel like we don't really do that much." Mandy blinks. "Ah. Well, alright, I guess... I can talk for a bit." Inviting myself in, I sit down on a chair just a bit opposite Mandy's. She lights a candle on a table next to us, though I can just barely see her face in the dim light._ _

__"So... you here to ask me questions or something? About my hobbies or whatever? Figure you probably already know some of them after hanging around for three weeks or so, though."_ _

__"Sorry to disappoint you, Mandy, but I don't have the kind of power of clairvoyance I'd need to get an idea of what someone like you enjoys doing in your off time. Honestly, I don't even really know what you'd do at all for fun around these parts. This place is just, like... kind of an empty tourist trap."_ _

__"Tourist trap isn't even the half of it. Place is a bona fide touristy shithole, minus even having some kinda ugly statue to stare at or some pile of rocks or something. I couldn't tell you one thing about the place, and somehow they've managed to keep people coming in for the last couple years... though I guess that's kinda failing, now, anyway." Mandy lets out a trademark sigh as she stares off to the side._ _

__"Huh? It's failing? I feel like I can't step into any of the wider areas without getting swept into a crowd." I learned that on my second day..._ _

__"Crowds are one thing, good business is another. Numbers have been dropping lately. That's what I've heard, at least. Rumors say the people up top are feeling a pretty bad fire under their asses."_ _

__"Really? Has that affected your business at all?"_ _

__"What is this, an interview? Are you gonna ask me who I buy my supply from next?"_ _

__"Oh, s-sorry, I guess I went into a weird line of questions."_ _

__Quietly sighing, Mandy grabs a glass of water off the table and takes a sip. Gently placing it back down, she shakes her head. "... Don't worry about it. In truth, it hasn't affected me at all. I get the same customers every day. We're the only lesbian bar in the entire location, nothing much to it. Most of us are stuck here, anyway."_ _

__"You get a lot of friendly faces, huh? That doesn't seem too bad." In fact... I kinda envy being able to spend that much time with people you know._ _

__"Sure. I guess you could say that."_ _

__For a little bit, we both just sit quietly. I look around Mandy's room, and I'm noticing that there isn't really... a whole lot, in here. Of course, aside from the table and chairs, there's a bed, a mirror, some dressers, and... a photo...?_ _

__"Hey, Aerica. I'd like to ask you a question." H-huh?_ _

__"Uh... I...I guess you can, sure."_ _

__"Why do you always smile like that?"_ _

__..._ _

__"Hahah, uh... that's a weird question? I don't really see a reason not to smile, you know?"_ _

__"Hmmm. That so, huh. Guess that makes sense." Mandy says sounding... strangely unconvinced._ _

__... I guess I should ask her already, then. "Hey, Mandy... do you have a--"_ _

__Without hesitating, Mandy interrupts me and says "I don't have a problem with Ranko. She's my closest friend, and I'd never do anything to hurt her. That's what you were going to ask, right? I had a feeling this would come up... guess I have her worried cause I've been in such a shitty mood lately." She places her hand on her forehead while leaning back. "God... yeah, I should clear this up with her later. I shouldn't make her worry like that... shit..."_ _

__That's a relief. Guess we're done here, then. "Well, I guess I'll head out."_ _

__"Yeah... go ahead. You and Ranko get some sleep."_ _

__Waving goodnight, I leave Mandy's room and head over to get some shut-eye._ _

__

__

__Ranko's gone._ _

__She's not in the bar. She's not in any of the back rooms. She's not in the restroom, and I didn't even see her outside. Moving as quickly as I could, I told Mandy._ _

__"... What the hell?"_ _

__"I... I can't find her anywhere...!"_ _

__Not even wasting a moment, Mandy dashes out of her room, grabbing a coat, and runs outside. I follow after her. Outside the bar, she shifts her head left and right, searching every direction. "Aerica. I need to ask you a favor. Help me find Ranko."_ _

__That's meant to be a favor? "I was gonna help whether or not you asked."_ _

__Mandy blinks. "... Yeah. I guess you were. I just wanted to ask you anyway. Alright... let's split up. I'll check the area over to the left. I'll trust you to find your own way around, we've all walked the area together for a while already. If you get lost... well, you can find your way back here pretty easily. Oh, and don't bother with crowded areas. You won't find her around those."_ _

__I nod. "If I find Ranko, I'll bring her back here."_ _

__"Sure. And... if you see anybody trying to hurt her..." Mandy stares right at me. "... I hope your glass skeleton is strong enough to beat the absolute shit out of them." Now that I get a good look, there's a strange intensity in Mandy's eyes that I haven't seen before. I... think Mandy's feelings for Ranko are a bit more passionate than I expected, heheh._ _

__Well, seeing eyes like that, I can't really say no. So I might as well reveal my secret weapon, pulling out a pair of small, wooden tonfas from my pockets. "Don't worry. I have my own ways of hitting stuff."_ _

__Mandy stares for a second. "Alright then, be careful. You're not in the bar, so nobody's gonna clean you up if you get broken to pieces in a fight."_ _

__"Is that meant to be comforting...?"_ _

__"It's a joke. I know Ranko wouldn't leave you lying on the ground if that happened. And some of the people who visit the bar would probably help you out, too. Like Lin, or those E-girls."_ _

__"You mean Emily and Erina? I think one of those two could carry my entire body with one arm."_ _

__"Okay, that's enough talking. Go look for Ranko." Yeah, okay, okay, it's probably a good idea to get moving. We split up to search for Ranko._ _

__

__I must've searched up and down every road on the right side of town, staying away from crowds, but I haven't seen a trace of Ranko. After about an hour of searching, I ended up walking back to the bar to regroup with Mandy. Nobody's here, though, so now I'm just standing around and waiting. Maybe I missed some spots when I was searching? No, I know I checked every place I could, and I kept yelling out Ranko's name... though a few people yelled at me to shut up._ _

__While I'm thinking to myself, I hear footsteps. I look over to see Mandy, slowly walking towards me with her head hanging down. Her fists are curled up, and she almost looks as if she's just shambling forward with each step. Struck with something deep in my gut, I don't feel like I can say a word._ _

__"Aerica. I'm going to tell you something." Her voice isn't carried by her regular low-energy smoothness. She sounds ragged, exhausted and desperate... and I even feel a bit of something else in her words as she speaks to me. Before I realize it, Mandy's grabbed my shoulders. Not tight enough to hurt me, but... tight. "... You piss me off."_ _

___Drip... ____ _

____Oh, rain just started falling. We should get ins--_ _ _ _

____"Aerica, look at my face for one second."_ _ _ _

____... I look at Mandy's face. Our eyes meet. She lightly pushes me away._ _ _ _

____"... I don't get it. What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell kind of messed up face is that? I've been trying to figure out how I feel about you for a while... and it just dawned on me. Seeing a fake smile like that makes me want to vomit..."_ _ _ _

____For a few brief seconds, we're both left with nothing but the sound of the rain to fill the dead silence before Mandy opens her mouth again. "... I couldn't find Ranko. I don't know where she is. I'm not going back inside until I find her. You can do whatever you want. If I don't come back, the bar's yours. Do whatever you want with it." Mandy turns around to walk back into the streets, the rain pouring down on her head._ _ _ _

____I can barely hear her whisper to herself. _"Yeah, right... Like I'm a real good role model for this crap." _____ _ _

______This was the last time we would ever see each other again._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______... Nah, just kidding._ _ _ _ _ _

______"... Mandy." She's already figured it out... so I might as well tell her. She turns her head towards me, so I know she's listening. "... I've got one year left, maybe. I don't know if I'll live past that. It's a miracle I'm alive right now to begin with, heh."_ _ _ _ _ _

______For a moment, she just gives me a quiet stare. "... That so, huh...? Well... I guess you'd better make the most of it."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Hahaha... what the heck? That hurts..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______She turns her head away from me. "... Sorry. I was being honest. I said the wrong thing. And I'm sorry for pushing you to tell me about it. That was my fault. I just can't do anything right these days, I guess."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Uh... n-no, it's oka--"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"If it'll make up for this... after we find Ranko..." Mandy turns around and stares me dead in the eyes. "... I'll let you kill me."_ _ _ _ _ _

______At this point, I really can't tell if that one's a joke or not. "... Maybe I gave you a weird impression these past few weeks. I'm kinda angry at you, Mandy, but killing you's the last thing I'd want to do."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Mandy gives me a weirdly disappointed look. "That so, huh. Well, the offer's still out there. You've got a free pass to kill me whenever you want, if you change your mind. As long as it's not before we find Ranko. I hate to say I can't let it happen until then. Keep it in mind."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"L-like I said..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Suddenly, Mandy almost seemed to sense something. "... I think I know where Ranko is. Follow me." Mandy suddenly darts off towards a back alley, leaving me scratching my head for a moment. Well, whatever. I'm not gonna be spending the night without those two, so I follow after._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______After a lot of strange winding turns down a series of alleys and roads, the rain still pattering heavy down on us, I finally see Mandy standing around a dirty, forgotten little corner of town, dangerously close to a small, unguarded overlook off the edge of the island. And behind Mandy... I see Ranko, and two mysterious suited figures, all nearly shrouded by the rain. I tap Mandy on the back, quietly whispering "Who are they?" Mandy angrily clenches her fists, and says "They're going to die."_ _ _ _ _ _

______One of the figures grabs Ranko by the wrist, while she pulls back in fear. I can hear him say something. "Alright, pal. The streets are gonna be cleaner and safer without someone like you around, so just come with us." Ranko shouts "W-WHAT THE HELL!? LET GO OF ME, YOU CREEP!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Hey, resist like this and we'll have to get a bit more forceful."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"LET GO OF ME, DAMMIT!!!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Okay, you little prick, you asked for it!" The second figure grabs Ranko by her other wrist, preparing to forcefully bend it to hurt her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Within seconds, Mandy's already launched herself full-speed at the second suited man. Before the man can say "H-hey, what!? What the hell are you--", his grip on Ranko's arm is immediately loosened by a powerful knee to the gut, followed by a hammer fist straight to his nose knocking him flat on his back. The first suited man, still standing and holding onto Ranko, shouts "What the hell!? Who are you? You're gonna pay for thi--" before he can finish talking, he gets to experience Ranko digging her sharp fangs deep into his wrist, causing him to lose his grip on her and collapse on his legs, gripping his arm._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ranko scrambles towards Mandy, crying. Mandy turns towards her and embraces her, hugging her tightly. "Ranko... you okay?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"*Sniff*!... Y-yeah... I'm okay... Sorry, I... I caused trouble for you, didn't I...?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"What the hell are you talking about? It's my trouble. I should've... been a bit more open with you about why I was in such a shitty mood. Sorry about that, Ranko. I wasn't angry at you."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Y-you weren't...?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Honestly... you should get angry with me sometimes."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Clambering up to his feet, one of the suited men, quietly, pulls out a pistol, pointing it at the two. So, responding in kind, I pull out a tonfa and bash his hand, before bashing his forehead and knocking him on the ground. Ranko and Mandy both seem surprised. "H-holy crap!!!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"... Damn. I didn't think you could hit someone like that, Aerica." Mandy utters. I give them both a smile._ _ _ _ _ _

_________And then I feel something crash into me from behind, knocking me forward. Huh? That's funny. My vision's going all dark. Hey, ranko...? m ndy...? can you g ve... me a hand...? i... think  
i f lt...  
s met ing... cra k.....  
in y........  
s ine........_ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______I don't know how long I was out, but I can just barely recognize where I am now. The wood paneling... The dim lighting... the oddly spacious interior... I'm in the wreckage of the large airship I, uh, crashed, aren't I? "... Aerica...?! Are you alright!?" Ah, a familiar voice... I try to get up, but as expected, my shoulders pretty much don't work right now. "Owch..." Ah, jeeze... I think I'm getting a headache..._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Don't stress yourself. That guy hit you pretty hard. Knowing you, I'm surprised you're still breathing." Gasping for breath, I can't leave that without a response. "I guess I should figure you'd joke about that time you accidentally hit me in the lung, hehe-owch..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Mandy, as always, sighs. I feel like she does that every time I talk to her. "I wouldn't make a joke about something this serious. Don't waste your energy trying to get up. If you die already, and in front of Ranko, I won't forgive you."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"D-die...?" Ranko quietly asks._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Don't worry about me, heheh. I've already died a bunch. Compared to all those times, this isn't too bad." Of course, I wasn't actually physically dying those times, but embarrassment is basically the same thing._ _ _ _ _ _

______"H-hey... that isn't funny." The pain is getting a bit more bearable, enough that I can just barely turn my head over to see the blurry figures of Ranko and Mandy. I can barely make out her face, but I can tell Ranko is crying. "You... shouldn't just... let yourself die. If you did that, I... I... I wouldn't forgive you either, jerk..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Ranko told us about your crashed ship. Emily and Erina came and covered for us when you got knocked out, and they carried you here. I guess Lin saw what was happening and ran to tell them. They're out gathering up all the poor and homeless in town, now. Helpful coincidence your crashed ship's bigger than the bar. I wonder why the island's creepy little board of directors never found it... whatever, that doesn't matter. We'll all get this thing up and running again, and then we're ditching this rock."_ _ _ _ _ _

______So that's what's going down, huh...? "Is there anything I can do to he-ow, ow, ow...!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"No! No, no, no way! You're all torn up like broken glass! I won't let you even try to help!" Ranko shouts at me, her voice in a panic, but also kinda pissed off. I can barely make out her face, but I know Mandy's giving me a look, like _'What the hell did you think we'd tell you, you dumbass?' _____ _ _ _ _

________"That's enough talking." Mandy kicks out her feet and lies down where she was sitting. "Everyone get to sleep. We're gonna be dealing with a lot of stuff tomorrow. Preferably, early in the morning. Repairing an airship isn't easy, let alone moving an entire bar into one. Got that, Ranko?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"A-ah! Yes, Mandy! I'll get to sleep right away!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Good. You could use it."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It's about... thirty minutes later. Ranko's fast asleep, but I'm sure Mandy isn't. It's been long enough now that I feel like I can move around a bit, and my vision is clear, so I slowly sit up. Sure enough, Mandy's sitting and staring at me expectantly, holding a large glass of alcohol. "... Did I ever tell you I'm a pretty light drinker?" She says to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Now that you mention it, I've never seen you drink at all."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I never drank before I arrived here. I ever tell you I just got handed the rights to the bar by some jackass? Well, when I first walked into the cellar, the smell of the alcohol made me feel wasted. When my first customer came in, I could barely even speak." She takes a swig from her bottle. "Haven't seen her in months. Damn piece of shit governing board. She probably got left alone on some barren rock. She was cute."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Is this stuff something that's been happening for a while?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Well, obviously. I heard rumors about it starting about a month ago. Island's governing board didn't like having a ton of homeless people taking up space without spending any money. You wanna know something funny? This island is a popular place for parents to dump off unwanted children. Coincidentally, most of the children dumped off here tend to be younger lesbians. Fucking hateful pieces of shit." I never knew Mandy could have this kind of dirty mouth, but I guess I never saw her drink before now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"That's rough to think about. I guess I can't say this is the only place I've seen that's like this, though. Maybe the more depressing thing is how common places like this are. Not just around this region, either."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Yeah. I got dumped on another popular destination for that kinda crap when I was a kid. If I ever see my dad again, I'm... I don't even know what I'd do. Tell him to fuck off and never show me his face again?... Actually, he's probably dead already, so I'll probably never get to do that." She takes another swig of her drink. Exhaling while making a weird noise, she continues on. "God, I fucking hate men. There hasn't been a single time my life went to shit where a guy wasn't involved. Sometimes dudes just make me want to puke. Well... okay, not really, I can deal with guys. I guess I know some guys I don't hate. None I'd ever want to even consider fucking, that idea does make me feel fucking sick, but... I just... fucking... god..."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"This, uh, sounds like a bit of a story."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... My first girlfriend... cheated on me with a guy. It was messy as shit. I didn't bother sticking around. The guy seemed nice. She was really apologetic about it, too. But my brain just... well, it always felt weird. But that just... wrecked it. It feels so weird to even think back on." Mandy takes another swig from her bottle. "... Anyway, my second girlfriend dumped me. My head was still a fucking mess, and I assumed it was cause of some dude she was friends with. That... no, on second thought, I'll just keep that one to myself. Sorry."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"You sure you aren't just bad at pickin' 'em?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yipes. Mandy's giving me a cold glare. "You sure you aren't asking me to kick your ass at 4:30AM?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Ahaha, uh, sorry! So... what about your last one?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Have you ever felt like you just... can't? Like in some way, you think you'd like to, but you're just... pushing yourself in a way that makes you think it's only going to end up being painful for both of you?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________If I was drinking something, I'd probably have spat it out at hearing that. "Yeah. I have."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Only lasted a few days. Funny, huh? Thinking about it makes me feel sick to my goddamn stomach. I'm such a fucking bitch. Why the hell even bother playing with someone else's feelings like that? You know?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I'm still trying to make up for all the people I've hurt like that, heheh... heh..." Okay, now I really am dying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I'll tell you a secret, Aerica. When I met... her... Ranko. She was... at that place we were at earlier, she... I reached out and grabbed her right as she flung herself off the side of the island. I was barely able to pull her back up."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Huh..." Wait a second, that's really fucked up. "Holy shit."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Anyway... what I actually... want to say is that... when I... the reason I was out there... right then... is because I... I..." Quickly raising the bottle to her lips, Mandy takes several large swigs of alcohol, gasping for air when she finishes. "I... was going to kill myself that night, too."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I'm glad you didn't die."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mandy gives me a weird look. "... Well, thanks for that, I guess. I've vomited all my crap out now. I'm going to sleep. Sorry I made you hear all that."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hey, wait a sec... Mandy."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Huh?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________There's a question I still feel like I need a more definitive answer for. "What do you think about Ranko?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I think she's one of the cutest women I've ever met. If anybody did anything to her, I'd kill them."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"That's hardcore. You like her that much?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I dunno. Maybe. Crap, if you ask me a question like that this late at night, I'm gonna get a headache. What time even is it...? I'm gonna get to sleep..."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hold on a sec. Before you do that, I've got one more request."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mandy looks at me with the kind of tired, bitchy glare that would scare some people, and let others die happy. "... What is it?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I smile at her. "Could you give me a good night kiss?" And I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I always figured you were a hornier bitch than you let on, you know. Well, sorry. I don't plan on sharing the scent of my drunken breath with you. Gonna have to find someone else."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well, you're kind of sexy when you're drunk, you know. Couldn't help myself, heheh."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... Pervert."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hey, they say people try to indulge in that kinda stuff more when they're about to die, right?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"... I can promise you'll die right here tonight if you keep me up any later than this. You know, I hate dealing with young people."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Heh, well... fair enough... what about Ranko, though? She's only a few years older than me. And aren't you only, like, 28?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mandy gazes on me from above. "Shush. Horny bitches should get to bed on time."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________After talking for what felt like an eternity, even though it was only around a half hour or so, we both slump down and close our eyes. Right as I feel myself drifting off to sleep, I swear I hear Mandy say something. _"... I think you'll live a lot longer than another year, Aerica. You don't look like a person who'd let herself die." _____ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It's kind of a funny joke, I guess, but it's also pretty stale. She should try and get more inventive with her material or she'll blend into the crowd too much._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________"... And by now you should know that I'm not joking, dumbass..." ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	4. Place of Warmth, Final

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i think i wrote a bit too much but i don't want to cut any of it

"Okay everyone, soooooo... wanna, like, talk about who we got the hots for and stuff?"

As if the sunlight shining on my face wasn't enough, this early in the morning some girls are bunching together in a corner of the room and loudly chatting with each other... they're louder than the people working in the hallways...

"H-hots...? Y... you don't mean...?"

"Ain't it obvious? She's suggesting we all say who we wanna bang. Heh!"

"Weeeeell... basically, yeah!"

I'm just waking up, but I can spy about three different girls in the group... and if my ears aren't dead, I can make out the three different voices. Lemme think... I'm bad with names, but I think the one with a really lazy drawl is Mimi, the shy, stuttery one who blushes so much you can practically see it when she talks is Kolin, and the horny one is Lily. Figures, they're all regulars.

"Personally, I wanna get a taste of Aerica. She's so mysterious, y'know? Man... that weird smile she's got goin' on all the time is kinda creepy, but also kinda hot...? I want her to take me to bed one night and give me weird hints about her tragic past while we hug our naked bodies close together, and do all kinds of stuff to each other, heeheeh..."

I wish I could tell her Aerica's baggage is a lot less romantic than she'd expect, but then again, it probably is the kind of dark secret she'd find really sexy or something.

"I wonder... where d'you think she, like, came from, anyway?"

"I... I heard some rumors about her being a wanted criminal on the run... too cool..."

"On the run? From, like... who?"

"I-I don't know... people...?"

"Hm, hm! On the run, huh? So that'd make her either a dangerous criminal, or some kinda rebel outlaw fighting against the system... Yep, that's frickin' hot! I wanna piece o' that!"

People sure spread some wild rumors when a person isn't open about their past. I know that from experience.

"I heard, like, a totally different rumor! That she's, like, a fallen angel from heaven, who lost her wings! That's why she's so beautiful and distant and stuff."

"A-an angel from heaven...? I don't know... t-that sounds a bit..."

"Hm, hm! Sex with an angel, huh... can't say I'm not curious about how it feels..."

What the hell kind of rumors do these horny dumbasses spread around?

"So whaddabout you, Kolly?"

"H-huh!? Me!?! I-I-I-I-I, uh, uh, uh, uhhhhhhh...! I think M-m-m-mandy... is really... attractive... and has a really n-nice voice... and a really... sexy body... umm... I want her to... do things to me..."

"Wowzers, I didn't expect to hear you use words like that. Can't say I disagree, though!"

"Haha, you're not the first girl, Kolly! Mandy's whole quiet moody thing is kinda thick sometimes, but it really makes you wanna just take a deep bite in and see how she reacts, hahaha! I'll be rooting for you."

... This is getting weird.

"So, what about Ranko? I think she's kinda cute. She's, like, so small and adorable it makes you wanna pat her on the head and squeeze her, right!?"

"Hmm... she does look pretty cute, yeah, but isn't she, like... Mandy's girlfriend?"

"S-she is...?"

"I mean, she's been staying over with her as long as anyone can remember. If they ain't fuckin', I dunno what they're doin'."

"You, like, really should get your head out of the gutter, Lily."

"Sorry, sorry, I just can't help myself, y'know?"

I can't listen to any more of this... should I tell them to shut up, or should I just quietly slink out of the room...?

"Hey, can you guys quiet down!?" That's a voice I didn't expect to hear. It took me a minute, but now that I look over, Ranko isn't lying asleep where she was. Whoever's sleeping there is a different short girl whose name I forgot. When I look at her, she opens her eyes a bit, looks at me, and winks before falling back soundly asleep. Huh.

Looking back over where I heard Ranko's voice, she's standing right in front of the trio. "Oh. R-Ranko. Uh, hahaha, h-how long were you...?" Yeesh, looks like things just got a bit awkward...

"Well... I was pretending to be asleep a really long time, so I kinda heard all of it." Yeah, hearing that got Mimi tugging her collar. Poor Kolin looks like she's in a cold sweat. "That so, eh? Well, what's said's said, huh? Haha! Why don'tcha join us?" Of course, Lily's unphased.

"No thanks." Ranko authoritatively places her hands on her hips. "Now, if you wanna keep doing this, you'd better do it in another room. Or else if you wake up Aerica and Mandy, I'll get... mega mad!" M-mega mad...?

"M-mandy and Aerica are sleeping in here?! Aaaah, that was so rude of us...! I'm sorryyyyyy!!!"

Lily finishes picking her nose and flings a booger at the nearest corner of the room. I'll make her clean the floors later. "Huh. Yeah, I was wonderin' where big M was. Guess I should'a checked the chairs around here. My bad."

"S-sorry... that was totally our bad... we'll move to another room!"

Well, it looks like Ranko's got it all dealt with. I'm... surprised... well, I guess I'll get going, then. Aerica and, uh... this other girl can sleep together, I guess. I'll just step over this thing on the floor and... oh, owch. Wait, crap, I'm falling.

_THUD!_

I was hoping to leave the room more gracefully than that. Well, if there was a way to direct everyone's attention in the room my way, that did it. "M-mandy?" Yeah, here it comes...

"Whoa! Mandy, are you hurt?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine. I just tripped on... something." The closer I try to look at whatever that thing I tripped on was, the less I can make it out. So I guess I won't bother trying.

"Oh, that's... good! Yeah!... Anyway, you should get back to sleep!" I could say the same about you, girl...

"I said I'm fine. I can't sleep any longer, anyway. There's probably a lot of stuff people need me to do." And I can't really stand this room anymore. And I had some weird-ass dreams. I got a lot of reasons, I guess.

"Well then... let me come with you!"

"... Why are you clinging to me so much? You and Aerica are the ones who got hurt the most last night. You two should keep resting together."

"I wanna stick around with you for a bit. I... want to talk with you, about some things."

"Talk, huh...?" Wonder how long it's been. Since the last time we just... talked. "Alright. But what if Aerica wakes up?"

"No worries! I found a girl who wanted to hang around with her for a while!"

That girl who was sleeping where Ranko was, huh?

"She was really insistent for some reason, actually. But... eheh, I'm sure Aerica will be okay with her around!"

Well... that girl's probably used to waking up to this kinda stuff.

 

We're walking down the halls of the ship... bar? I guess it's a flying bar ship or something, now. I wonder where the hell Aerica got this thing, cause it's kinda spacious and well-lit. More than enough room for all the people on board to stand around in the halls, at least. "... So what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh yeah! Uhh..." Before she can say anything, we hear a loud clanging noise, followed by an older woman shouting. "HEY, WHADDYA DOIN', ERINA? I TOLD YOU TO LIFT!" Following the noise, we find that hulking muscle lady Erina, dressed in a tank top and drenched in sweat getting bossed around by the local mechanic, Jule, to do... something. "Goddamn, lady... I can barely feel my friggin' arms and you want me to do more work..." Hell if I can follow.

"You two mind being quieter? You're gonna wake people up with that loud mouth."

Jule shoots me a look while chewing on a cigarette. "Ya wanna get this baby in the air, girly, you're gonna have to let me make some noise. If it wakes some people up, fine. More hands to get this hunk of engine purring." The fifty-year-old mechanic takes a drag on her cigarette, puffing out some smoke in my face. Me and Ranko pinch our noses closed and wave it away.

"Will you quiet down if I promise you a drink later?"

She chuckles. "Promise? Girly, starting today we're gonna be living in a flying bar, you can't keep me away from the hooch! Khehe! But, hey, if you wanna help out a bit, you can stamp that down right there for a few seconds." She points out a heavy lid on the floor with the same hand she's holding her cigarette in. "Piece 'a junk keeps flyin' up when I try to screw it down, and Miss Bulging Muscles over here's too whipped to help hold it for me."

"What the hell kinda nickname is Miss Bulging Muscles, granny? You know that wasn't my wrestling name, right?" Erina objects, but I guess Jule doesn't really care.

I look down at Ranko. "Sorry, I'll talk with you in a minute."

She blinks but, nodding, says "Yeah, got it."

"So I just gotta hold this lid down with my foot?" I ask. Jule cackles. "Sure, yeah, sure, khehe! Long as your frail little legs're up to it." Weak legged? Never heard anyone say that about me. I stamp down my foot on the lid with full force. Not sure what kinda spring's pushing this thing up, but it's pushing pretty hard. I gotta really flex my leg here. Stay down, pal...

"Khehe! Nice! You're really flexin' those pretty legs of yours, bar girl." Huh? Why's everyone staring?

"Hey, this ain't nothing to joke about. I dunno if I've seen smokin' strong legs like this in my life!" E-even Erina, huh? Well, at least Ranko...... is drooling...?!

"D-dammit, Jule, just screw the lid in already!" "Kheheeehehe! Sure, sure, sure! I'll be right there!"

"... So, what did you need to screw that lid down for, anyway?"

Jule looks at me, and shrugs. "Just figured I should screw it down is all!" Right. Should keep in mind this lady's... like that.

"... Alright, then. See both of you later." Jule waves goodbye with her trademark cackle while I grab Ranko's hand and walk away.

I can hear Erina quietly complain to herself as we leave the room. "Sheesh, now I'm gettin' frustrated... where the hell is Emily right about now...?"

 

Finally putting some distance between us and those two, we're both hanging out in a quiet corner of the halls. I noticed a few people walking by, but no real crowds to get in the way. With Ranko standing across from me, I figure it's time to... talk.

"So... what did you want to talk about?" To be honest, I think I already have an idea of what it is. Ranko nervously tugs her sleeve.

"Oh, right, eheh... well... uh, crazy, isn't it? That we're, like, settin' up a flying bar now? This is totally different from the old place..."

"Yeah. I thought I'd be stuck on this dump of a town for a bit longer. Guess this is freeing, in a way."

"Well hey, look at it this way, you made a ton of friends while you were here who're all stickin' with you now! We've all got each other's backs, ehehe!"

"Right... hey, Ranko. I've got a question I've been meaning to ask for a while. You got any future plans? I'm sure you don't want to just bum around at my place forever."

"E... eh? I mean... I wouldn't... hate that..." Her face is blushing red. It's kinda cute, but...

"Maybe you wouldn't hate it, but--"

"Mandy... if you don't let me talk, I'll have to yell over you, jerk." Ranko knocks the wind out of my sails with words I didn't expect to hear.

"H-huh? S-sorry..."

"No... it's fine. All this is cause I messed up, after all. Ehehe, I... I can't do anything right myself. I'm always relying on other people, for stuff I'm too scared of." There's an anxious silence between us both, for a moment. And then she speaks up again. "Mandy... I want to hold your arm for a minute."

"S... sure." I nod. Ranko grabs my sleeve, and holds it closely to her face, hugging it tightly. Looking close, I can see tears welling up in her eyes. "... I'm sorry for being such a burden... and causing so much trouble for you... but I don't want to let go now..." Her grip on my arm tightens. She stays quiet.

I think for a few minutes. About what I should say. Or... what I've wanted to say, I guess. I've been a real dumbass... as usual. "I've never thought about you that way, Ranko. I've always thought I was dragging you down. I'm worried that if I let you stick around with me any longer I'm just going to make things harder on you."

"Eheh... harder, huh? Y'know how hard things were before I met you? Stupid..."

"I-I mean... I'm just not good at making commitments. Or being good to the people I care about. It seems like I always end up hurting people I love. So... I don't know if I'm a person you'd want to... have that sort of relationship with."

"Mandy, I love how tall y'are. But if you keep sayin' stuff like that, I'm gonna climb up high enough to flick your forehead. Or do this." Before I can even respond, Ranko tugs hard on my arm, pulling my face down to level with hers. And then,

She kisses me on the cheek.

I can feel her small cat-like fangs brush against my skin.

And her soft lips almost turn my legs to jelly.

While I'm stunned, Ranko pinches my ear to keep me low to the ground. "I know people call me your 'pet', n' stuff like that. And I'm not gonna tell 'em it's a lie, cause it's not. But y'know... sometimes a pet's gotta care for their master when she's being clueless. Eheh!"

There are about a dozen things I could point out about that analogy that I disagree with, but in the aftermath of getting a kiss from a girl I love for the first time in over a month, it looks like I can't talk all that clearly. Funny.

"When did you learn to be so forward...?" I say, blushing and wiping sweat off my brow. I guess that's not super characteristic of me, either. Or, well... how people see me.

"Eheh, well, I was feelin' a lot more nervous until SOMEONE said something that really ticked me off! You know, you can be really dense sometimes, and it isn't always cute!"

"C-cutely dense? You think I'm attractive because I'm stupid? Huh. That sure changes my perspective on this relationship." Funny enough, we both laugh at the same time.

"You know, Mandy... I got really worried, cuz you didn't seem like you were actin' your usual self. For a bit you were havin' those weird mood swings, and then you got all gloomy... I was worried it was cuz of me, but it was Aerica, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to say it, but..."

"Ehehe, don't worry, don't worry! We'll all look after her together, y'know! Y'don't have to worry about her like you've been."

"... I hope not. Seeing a face like that brought back bad memories. Reminded me of myself, at one point."

"Ah, yeah... it gave me some weird flashbacks, too, actually. It's weird when I look back on it all, though. Sometimes those kinds'a thoughts pop back into my head, but... eheh, when I look at you and everyone else, I kinda forget why I ever wanted to do it at all."

Ranko chuckles awkwardly while I try to stay quiet. But after a moment, I find myself laughing anyway, like "what the hell, you're just gonna drop something like that so plainly?" I never thought about it before, but it's weird what kind of stuff can get us both smiling.

"Hey, Mandy. If... if you'd been too slow, and I'd died... what would you've done?"

I stare off into the distance, thinking about it for a second. "That wouldn't happen. My reflexes are too quick."

Before I can react, Ranko closes in wrapping her arms around me, and gives me another kiss on the cheek. "C'mon, how can you say that when it takes you a full second to react after I do somethin' like that!? You're a bad liar."

"Y-yeah, I guess you're right... uh..."

"Ehehe, don't worry, it was a trick question anyway. I wouldn't've let myself die after seein' someone as tall and cute as you."

"How would you...?"

"Y'just gotta trust me. I totally wouldn't."

"... I love you." I feel like all the air in my body left me trying to say that.

"Nyaha, That'sa funny coincidence. Love you too."

"Oh, you did that thing where you talk like a cat again. That's cute..."

"Nyahaha! You're makin' me blush!"

Me and Ranko lock our hands together tightly.

"... You know, we were both acting pretty weird for a bit, weren't we?"

"Ehehe, well... we were both figurin' out a lotta stuff. Let's not worry about it too much now."

For some reason, I feel a lot better now.

 

Everyone's gathered up in the bar to celebrate the impending lift-off of our flying bar ship that somehow evaded investigation by the local authorities up to this point. The alcohol and the tables are all set up, so now Jule's got a tv set up to show a big flashy countdown. Emily and Erina are in the corner getting hammered, and I guess at some point those three girls from this morning all got drunk and decided to just start making out with each other. Me and Ranko are just sitting side-by-side with small glasses. Lin's hanging out with us, too.

"Wonder where Aerica is." I mutter.

"Eheh, don't worry, I got a feeling she'll show up soon!"

Right on time, that blue-haired girl walks in with that black-haired girl from the morning hanging off her shoulder. Looks like those two got friendly while we weren't looking.

"Ahahah, hey guys. How've your mornings been?" She asks, with that regular, friendly smile on her face. The girl hanging off her arm leans in towards her and closes her eyes, looking peaceful. "Ah--ahaha, sorry, Ana. I didn't forget about you." Aerica gently strokes Ana's head, making the shorter, black-haired girl almost look like she's melting into a blob of warmth. I tilt my head and smirk at her.

"For someone who rejected all the girls who came onto her, you sure picked up a girlfriend quick today. Very interesting." Lin says, thoughtfully sipping a non-alcoholic cranberry soda.

"W-well... she was really insistent, you know... and, uh... I can't say I wasn't feeling kinda lonely myself, ahahaha, hah, haaaa... Mind if we sit with you guys?"

"Go ahead. Plenty of room for you two to cuddle up here. You could even get kinda frisky if you want. Pretty much everyone here's too drunk and horny to care."

"W-whoa, uh, okay, but be careful about saying that..." Whoops, Ana's looking at Aerica with some particularly special eyes now. Feel like my words unlocked some kinda horny power limiter. Well, it's Aerica's problem now. God knows how much bigger it'll be when they both... get... drunk...

"Hey, Aerica. You're too young to drink, right?"

"Eh--huh? Oh, haha, uh, dunno why you'd say that!"

"How old's your girlfriend?"

"Twenty." Ana chirps out.

"... I don't normally serve drinks to people your age."

Letting the awkward silence sit for a second, I deliver the punchline.

"But what the hell, I don't have any kind of legal system to deal with now and you're both basically almost 21. Drink up, as long as you don't get too drunk."

To the untrained eye, I'm being an irresponsible adult. And I guess that's true. I hand them both some shitty canned beer I found on the floor. Don't try this at home, kids. Or adults.

"When's this dumb countdown even gonna start? Aren't all the engines running and everything already?" I'm in that drunk place of mind right now where I get really whiny.

"Don'tcha think you should probly be giving the order to set sail yourself? It's your bar, dummy."

"Can't help it. I got too drunk and told Jule to do it for me. I hate grabbing this much attention, anyway..."

"Ehe, what the heck? Why did you ever decide to run a bar when you're so antisocial?"

"I dunno..."

Suddenly, Lin chimes in. "Maybe you just wanted to talk to a ton of women."

"Shuddup, I'm getting a headache..."

"Khehehehehe! Alright, girls and... old man Steve!" For one second, all attention in the room shifts over to the mysterious bearded, grey-haired smiling old man Steve, the single homeless person on the entire island who was a guy, somehow. He calmly waves hello, and all attention shifts back just as suddenly to Jule. "We're gonna launch off this dumb rock! On the count of... TEN!"

Suddenly, the screen lights up with a countdown, hitting NINE.

I can already see Ana clinging hard to Aerica and planting a soft kiss on her cheek while Aerica gently holds her butt by the time it hits EIGHT.

When I look over to the three girls who were making out, I can see Panna making a very embarrassed face by the time it hits SEVEN.

Lin takes a single sip out of her drink by the time it hits SIX.

In a drunken haze, I blank out for a few seconds, waking up by the time it hits THREE.

Erina and Emily seem to be arm-wrestling over who gets to be on top tonight as it hits TWO.

I'm getting really tired of shouting out the numbers, so I'll just say that by the time it hits one, pretty much everyone in the bar loses their shit as we all start to fly up into the air, the ship rumbling and whirring to life around us and the island we used to call home drifting further away through the windows. Jule just stands in the middle of the room, cackling merrily like always.

"... I guess they didn't try to stop us after all."

"Well... 'course not. Why would they care?"

"I dunno. Cause they suck?"

"Oh... eheh, yeah, I don't really get it either. Guess it doesn't matter now, so let's get drunker with everyone else."

"Alright, I guess."

 

It's a few hours later and I shouldn't have drunk as much as I did. I've decided I don't want to think about plans for where to take or how to manage this place until tomorrow so I'll just ignore anyone who asks me about it and hope nothing bad happens until then. For the moment, almost everyone's either drunk sleeping on the floor or gone to their own sections of the ship to hang out. Now it's just me, an unconscious Ranko leaning on my shoulder, a half-conscious Aerica and her sleeping girlfriend.

"One hell of a day... hey, Aerica. How's your back?"

"... Ah...? Oh... s'fine, s'fine. Ahaha... I heal p-pretty quick..."

"God, you sound more hammered when you get drunk than I do... well, either way, that's good. You looked like a pretzel a day ago."

"Ahaha, yeah... I get that a lot... I'm pretty weak..."

"Weak is one way to say it. You ever work your muscles? You look like a twig."

"I... was in better shape... one time... but... my head started feeling bad one time... and I slept for a while... didn't move much..."

"So, uh... you don't actually know how to use tonfas, huh."

"Ahahahahahaha! Nope, I lied! Sorry."

"Nah, don't be. But don't be a reckless dumbass, either. You'll make Ranko get upset."

"I'll... tell you some real stories about myself sometime. Like about my family and stuff... and my mom..."

"Your mom? What, was she hot or something?"

"My mom was Jolly Regina."

"Good one. INteresting brag to compare your mom to a lady who fucked that many other ladies, though."

"I'm serious."

"Oh. Well, I guess that explains some stuff about you. And how you were conceived, I guess. One woman fucks enough ladies, I guess eventually some kids'll come outta that." But, like... she's joking, right?

"Haha, it's a bit weirder than that. I'll tell you later."

"Sure thing..."

Suddenly, a powerful voice makes its presence known. "Well, I learned one thing from you here, Aeri. You gotta get some more exercise in!"

Like a booming colossus, Emily enters the conversation, walking over to Aerica and feeling her arm. "Haha, uh... what the heck?" Aerica says in confusion.

Emily crosses her arms. "I was wondering why you were so scrawny, Aeri. Now I'm determined! If you've lost that much muscle, we've gotta train you back up! Nothin' too crazy, of course, just some light running and weightlifting every morning, okay!" She looks over my way, with an ominous glint in her eye. "And as for you, Mandy... you need to be in better shape, too! Just lookit Ranko! She's so short, but she's got way stronger muscles'n you cause she's always workin' em so hard carryin' dishes and stuff, ahahahhhhh! What a hard-workin' girl!"

"Man, sometimes I can't believe I thought you looked really cute in a laid-back way the first time I entered the bar and saw you lying on Erina's lap..." Aerica mutters.

"Ehhh? What was that? Anyway, I'll plan all this stuff out with Erina! The three of you, we'll set up daily morning exercises to keep you and anyone else who's interested in shape! Sailing the skies is dangerous, after all! Gotta keep in good health, y'know what I mean? Ahahahhhh!"

A door opens at the other end of the room, and another titan makes her sleepy appearance. "Guh... Emily, the hell're you doin'...? Everyone's sleepin', you idiot. C'mon, we're goin' back to our room. Jeeze, this' what I get for forgetting to grab the strap in advance and giving you time to wander around on your own... c'mon, you." Erina lifts one of Emily's arms and tickles her, dragging her away as she laughs maniacally. I feel like I just saw a weird dream, but I'm pretty sure that was real.

"... So that's the end of the first chapter of our lives, huh."

Aerica laughs. Dunno what's so funny to her. "For me, this is like... chapter 185."

"I really don't get you sometimes." I want to add that I realized I don't hate her as much as I thought I did last night, but I decide not to.

"That's okay. Neither do I."

I dunno which statement she was responding to, but either way, we both share a laugh. Dunno if we became friends just now, or we were friends way longer than I thought, but whatever. At the end of the day, we're both just tired lesbian bitches. I guess.

 

_CHAPTER 185_  
PLACE OF WARMTH  
\--END-- 


End file.
